That's How Much You Mean To Me
by Tiro
Summary: During a retrieval, they face a group of witch-people and Ginji gets hurt. Thus this makes the Jagan-user go out of control and they get to see Ban's darker side.


**That's How Much You Means To Me**

**Summary**: During a retrieval, they face a group of witch-people and Ginji gets hurt. Thus this makes the Jagan-user go out of control and they get to see Ban's darker side. YAOI.

**Pairing/s**: GinjiBan, established relationship.

**Warnings**: YAOI. Spoilers up to the Divine Design-arc.

Different story about Ban's past and about his powers.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Getbackers.

-

"Shit, how many are they?!" Himiko shouted as she jumped back. "I'm almost out!"

"They just keep appearing," Shido growled before he whistled for animals to join him.

"I didn't quite expect this many," Maria said apologetically.

"Shut up and keep going!" Ban shouted at them. "Ginji!"

The brunette pointed at a generator, and Ginji grinned.

"I'm on it, Ban-chan!" he said and ran off to short-circuit the power around them. It would give the three retrievers, the Transporter and the witch some advantage in this situation. It had been a simple retrieval until these guys showed up, and they came like cockroaches.

Ban turned around and landed a perfect kick in a man's groin, making him topple over and fall to the ground. Maria jumped away and used her tricks so Himiko could get hits each time she used her perfumes. She had so little now she could not afford to waste it on a miss.

When it went dark around them thanks to the former emperor, they moved in a more familiar ground while the guards were blind. Within minutes, it was done.

Ban straightened up as he heard Ginji come running.

"Did I miss out the fun?" he asked. Ban could hear the pout in his voice and smiled.

"You'll get more chances," the brunette teased.

"He will."

The new voice made them all alert, and light flooded onto them. Ban's eyes narrowed at the sight of the group of seven people, all reeking magic. He felt Maria tense. Out of their group of five people only he and Maria was capable of fighting with magic. Ginji, Shido and Himiko may be considered powerful but they could have a hard time fighting witches.

Ban slowly eased into a position, ready to protect Ginji if he had to. Maria stood in front of Himiko and Shido.

"We want the object," the leader said.

"It's just a normal necklace," Ban replied, "and nothing worth to anyone but an old man and his sentimentality."

"We want it," the leader said again. He had red hair and cold eyes. Ban had a bad feeling about this. "Who has it? Tell us, and we might leave you alive."

"You're not going to do anything except leaving," Maria said calmly. "Leave."

"Two against seven? Hah, like you can win that way!"

"We're five," Shido growled.

"Only two able to fight with magic," the leader added. "We're witches, and you have two witches with you there. That woman with the breasts, and that little scrawny brown-haired brat."

Ban did not react to the bait, it was no use. Reacting meant their victory. This witch-leader could insult the Jagan-user all he wanted, Ban was not going to move.

He could feel Ginji vibrate with anger behind him but the blonde did not move either. Good.

"The blonde has it!" one of them shouted. "In his vest pocket!"

"Shit! Ginji!" Shido called.

Three of the men were over Ban and Ginji within a moment, leaving Ban no chance to fight back. There was the sound of fabric ripping apart and then Ginji's scream. Ban was thrown away but got back easily enough on his feet, skidding to a halt with blood in his face. _It was not his blood_. He looked up to see them lift his lover up, Ginji's white T-shirt bloody and him groaning weakly with a string of blood coming from his mouth. He was then thrown away, one of them holding the necklace.

But Ban was not thinking of the necklace. In fact… he was not thinking at all.

-

Maria saw it first. Ban had fallen to his knees, his eyes tightly shut and clear drops of blood falling from his nose.

"Ban!" she screamed. "Ban, get up! Get yourself together!"

"What, you shouting at him?" the leader said. "It's the blonde you should worry about. But let's play your game."

He turned his attention to Ban and smiled cruelly.

"Come on, little brunette," he mocked. "Show us your eyes. Come on, let us see your pain."

Ban's eyes opened and his body exploded in light. Maria screamed:

"Ban, wake up! Don't let him come out!"

When the light vanished she ran towards the Jagan-user and shouted:

"Ban, wak--!"

A swipe of the man's arm and she was thrown backwards, crashing into Shido and Himiko.

"What is this power spike?" the leader wondered. "Interesting. Hey, kid, you interested in working for me? That power of yours is quite… intriguing."

"Kid?" Ban's voice was deeper, not his own. His head whipped up and Shido and Himiko could only stare.

His mouth in a wide grin, his eyes shining, Ban looked like a devil. His spiky hair was smoother, flowing and Maria called out:

"Don't try fighting him, witch-people! He'll kill you!"

"The brat will kill us?! Ridiculous! Chief, we can take him on!"

"No!" Maria screamed. "You can't beat Asclepius!"

"Asclepius?!" the Transporter shouted.

"Ban has Asclepius' soul within him, the spirit comes to life when Ban gets in a real rage!" Maria said. "I have to stop him!"

"You can't! You saw how easily he threw you away!" the beast master said.

"I wasn't prepared, I have to stop him or he'll kill us all! Asclepius doesn't give a fuck if we're Ban's friends or not!"

Asclepius now rose to full length, and stretched out his right hand with the crazy grin still on his face. He vanished a moment later.

Himiko screamed as one of the witches' head was ripped off, and the chief turned around in shock. He had not even seen it happen.

"Kill him!" he screamed to the others. "Kill him!"

Maria began chanting under her breath, focusing on where she felt Asclepius' magic crackle in the air. Meanwhile, Shido and Himiko got to Ginji. Shido got him up and Ginji coughed.

"Hold still," Himiko said. "Your lungs might be hurt."

"No, I can breathe just fine," Ginji said.

"It could still be damages on them. Stay still!"

"Where's Ban-chan? Is he okay?"

"Worry about yourself," Shido growled.

"It's the weird aura again," Ginji said. "You have to tell Ban-chan to stop with the weird aura."

"The weird aura?" Himiko questioned.

"He has a bit of that aura when he does Snake Bite… now the air reeks of it, tell him to stop."

They looked back to see Asclepius rise with the leader's head in his hand, the blood dripping down onto the ground.

"I think it's a bit too late for that," Shido whispered.

-

Asclepius stopped, or rather, he was stopped. He looked up at Maria in anger. She held her hands tightly together, the marking on the ground around him holding him in her grip.

"Ban, wake up!" she screamed.

The man's head tilted, this was no longer a man she knew. Maria had never had to face Asclepius this much, this _real_. Only Ban's grandmother had done it, and survived. She had never treated Ban the same though. Always more careful, making sure to never make him livid or set in a rage. Screaming at those who did. Treating Ban like he was fragile.

Maria understood why now. One injury done to Ginji, and it made Ban go crazy.

"Release me, woman," the ancient being said. His voice started to frighten her. Maybe it was because you heard it seldom, and each time it was so filled with hatred and unlimited rage that it could make anyone trembling in fear.

"I can't," she said. "Go back. Release Ban."

"Release me!" Asclepius shouted and made a swipe with his arm.

They heard Maria's cry and whipped around. The woman skidded to a halt on the ground, groaning. Asclepius looked at them, eyes wild.

"Himiko, go! Take Ginji with you and go!"

"You can't beat him, Shido!" Himiko growled.

"I can delay him, go now!"

Asclepius moved towards them, and Shido began to push her to go, Ginji hanging onto her shoulder.

Suddenly Maria appeared in front of them and screamed:

"You're not getting them!"

Asclepius grabbed her around the throat and lifted her off the ground. Maria tried to say a spell but the man squeezed so she could not talk, barely breathe. Asclepius lifted her higher and she began to choke.

"You're… not… killing… them… not Ginji…" she wheezed. "Not… the only one Ban… can love… please…"

He smiled again, twisted and Ginji felt his chest constrict. Ban was crying, deep inside the twisted mind that was the former healer.

A moment later Maria was thrown away and Ginji's arms were around Asclepius, the man's eyes widening, unprepared at the movement the wounded emperor had done.

Ginji built up a current, letting Ban know who it was and said:

"Wake up."

He then let the electricity embrace them, catching them in a light that had the three others covering their eyes. Once it finally ended, Maria had managed to catch her breath and she looked up along with Himiko with the girl's hand on her shoulder and Shido supporting her.

Ginji's wound was healed. Not surprising with the amount of electricity he released into himself, worked like clock-work. But the part that surprised them the most was that Ban had his head buried in the blonde's shoulder and his shoulders were shaking slightly.

Maria got herself up and coughing before whispering:

"Ban?"

The Jagan-user's fingers dug into the vest, and Ginji shushed him.

"It's okay," the blonde said quietly.

-

"I've never seen Midou this quiet," Shido whispered to Ginji.

"Well, he's never attacked Maria-san," Ginji replied and looked at Ban. He sat slumped back in one of the boots at Honky Tonk, untouched coffee in front of him and hands in his lap. "I'll take him home."

"We'll split the money later," Himiko said. "Just get that blank expression away from his face, Ginji."

-

Ban wondered if he would ever be able to fight again. He curled up tighter in the bath, hoping Ginji believed he was showering. He knew why his grandmother tried to make him hate the world. No one to love, no one to be afraid for. No one who could make him give into the bottomless rage that was Asclepius.

In some ways, he was much alike to Ginji. Once it was too much, Raitei came and took over. Same with Asclepius. Only difference Asclepius was a lot crazier, and did not do anything to try help anyone. Raitei at least had that, a little bit. He was created to protect.

Asclepius exists to destroy. Ban's head sank down onto his knees, he wrapped his arms tighter around his legs as if it would save him from the darkness feasting at his heart, forever wrapping his mind around doubt and fear that one day he would kill the one he loved.

"Ban-chan, you okay?"

The brunette did not find his voice to answer. He stared right ahead and heard the door open. He had forgotten to lock it. Never mind. Ginji would have broken down the door if he had wanted to.

Gentle hands now on his shoulders, one leaving to shut the water off.

"Ban-chan, let's get you up," Ginji said.

"Are you okay?" the brunette whispered.

"Me? I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?"

"Your wound…"

"It's healed," Ginji said with a grin.

"You still need to rest. You haven't rested," Ban said and looked at him. "I'm fine, you go."

"I'm not going until you're coming with me."

Ban looked at Ginji and gave in, accepting his lover's help to get up. He managed to dry himself off and dress in the clothes he had put out earlier before following Ginji to the bedroom.

"Get down there," Ginji said and gently pushed Ban so he was lying down on top of the covers. Ginji's body slid over his and Ban moaned quietly at the feeling of the blonde's lips sliding over his own. The former emperor felt the brunette trembling.

"You sure you're okay?" he whispered.

"So close," Ban murmured. "So close that I killed you all."

"But you didn't. It wasn't you. It was someone else."

"Yeah, and he lives inside of me."

"You've never, ever, blamed me for anything Raitei have done," Ginji said harshly. "So why should I? All I want to know is why it happened, why you changed."

"They were going to kill you," the Jagan-user whispered.

"You… you get that way… when someone you love is about to be hurt?" Ginji asked.

"I've never had anyone like you, but I guess so," Ban said. "That's how much you mean to me. Life isn't worth it without you."

Ginji smiled gently and embraced Ban before saying:

"I guess I'll do my best to stay alive for you then. Only if you promise me the same thing."

Ban smiled.

"Deal."

End

* * *

I got this idea yesterday and wrote it off. Hope you liked it.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


End file.
